Unbreakable
by YouWishICare
Summary: There was always a struggle.


**Unbreakable**

Disclaimer: All characters of full metal alchemist belong to their respective owners.

* * *

"Ed?" Winry asked watching Ed stand up from the dirt. Granny was on the porch steps of the Rockbell home watching them from a distance. Alphonse was asleep in one of the rooms.

"Yeah, Winry?" Ed asks smiling at his handiwork. He placed his dirty hands on his hips.

"What is it?" She cocked her head to the side and reached down to touch it. Ed swatted her hand away.

"Hey, stop!" He yelled, "It's called a transmutation circle. I found it in my dad's library. I read it."

"Transmutation circle?" Winry stepped back from it, "Ed isn't that alchemy?"

"Yeah!" He beamed, "I'm getting better at it too."

"Ed.." Winry whispered to him. He turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"Don't hurt yourself. Alchemy is dangerous. It killed my parents.."

Ed lifted his head in understanding and walked over to her. His motions a bit awkward and hugged her, "I'm sorry Winry.."

Winry sighed into him then shoved him away. "You're no comfort Ed."

His eyebrow twitched, "I was trying to help! You see? I never get a thank you.." He sat down in the dirt, his arms folded, but from his peripheral he could see Winry staring down at the inscriptions and symbols of the circle with cautious eyes.

* * *

Edward sat up in the chair, his limbs missing and a dead look in his eyes. Winry watched from a distance and stood next to her grandmother as she made his, what would be, new arm and leg.

Winry looked over to Alphonse who sat propped up near the wall and just as silent. A deadly quiet fell over the Rockbell house. She felt bad for them. Not only did they loose their parents but they lost their body, and possibly their will.

Ed looked up from where he was seated. Winry was standing infront of him, a glass of apple juice in her hands and smiled sympathetically at him.

_Like you want somebody to pity you._

"Thank you Winry." Ed said mechanically. His body was put on autopilot. Afraid to grasp the concepts upon awakening, his mind had shut itself down.

Winry walked over to Al and handed him the drink. Al took it, but didn't drink.

"He can't drink Winry.." Ed said and leaned forward, the glass gripped a little too tightly in his hand. "He's just a soul in a shell..."

Winry looked back at Al, her eyes widened with rude awakening, then they saddened. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"You were wrong Winry.." Ed said softly, "Alchemy didn't just kill your parents...It kills everyone."

* * *

"Congradulations Full Metal." Roy clapped his hand, "Welcome, your now a dog of the military."

Ed's stare was hard and calloused, his hand gripped Roy's in a firm handshake, "Thank you Colonel Mustang." Ed said and turned about face and walked out of the inspection area. The Fuhrers eyes were on his back the entire time.

"I hope you made a wise choice." Someone said as Ed left the room.

Mustang and Bradley's chins raised in security.

"He's strong for a little one." Bradly said smiling. "I can tell he is going to be a very dangerous and well known Alchemist." He turned his head to Mustang, "Which is why I'm putting him under your supervision. Watch him..whatever you do."

Roy raised his hand in a salute. "Yes, Fuhrer Bradley."

Bradleys eyes narrowed at the door, _You certainly are going to be a piece of work._

* * *

"Ed!" Winry yelled out her window and tossed her unusually heavy wrench at him.

"Holy Hell!" Ed yelled and dodged the heavy chunk of metal.

Winry came running out the house followed by Granny. She could see a suit case in his hand. "Are you staying for a bit?"

Ed chuckled, "Yeah, a few days. But not long."

Winry frowned briefly then ran to hug him. The impact almost made him fall into the ground. "I missed you guys!" She stood and gave Al a hug too. His armor cold against her skin.

Al laughed, "We missed you too Winry."

Ed shrugged, a small blush washing over his features. "A-anyway..there's another reason we're here..." He took off his red Jacket.

"Ed, holy hell! What happened to the arm I built you? It's gone!" Winry looked at what was left of her handiwork with disdain.

Ed grumbled something incoherantly under his breath. "Whatever, can we come in?"

Granny smiled from the porch and set her pipe down, "Is that a question you really need to ask?"

Al laughed, "No, but brothers a stickler for manners."

"No, that's you Al." Ed smirked and walked in the house.

"We were just about to eat lunch." Winry commented behind them, "Potato stew."

"I'm serious-" Ed said closing the door behind them, "How could something that taste sooo good have _milk_?"

* * *

Winry stayed up that night putting his auto-mail back together. She smiled at the thought of putting it back on to connect with the nerves. That was always her favorite part because she could see the look on Ed's face every time it happened, though he seemed to be getting used to it every time he needed a new fit.

She ended up having to make another leg for him as well. He grew a little taller, but not much.

Stepping out of the workshop for a minute, she needed a snack. Staying up all night working was tedious and exhausting. They had been here a week, and Winry had often spent nights working rather than eating dinner.

She opened the door to her office slowly. Stepping out, she knew what floorboards creaked and what ones didn't. She didn't want to wake anybody.

She was about to pass the door to Edward and Alphonse's room but stopped. She knew Al didn't sleep but still, she entered.

"Winry?" Alphonse asked when she walked into the room. She smiled weakly at him and took the bandanna she wore off her head.

Winry waved at him and looked down at Ed sleeping on the bed in his boxers, the covers strewn about the place. She smiled, for someone who's life was constantly on the line, it was a wonder he could sleep this peacefully.

She felt something rise in the pit of her stomach and knelt down by his bedside. Al put his palm on the ground, ready to rise. Winry put a finger to her lips and smiled. Al watched with confused eyes from his position on the ground.

Winry bent over and gently cupped one of Ed's cheeks, turning him to face her. She closed her eyes when her lips made contact with the soft skin near his lips. Al's eyes widened in understanding.

"Be safe.." She mutely worded and stood to stand. Before leaving she ran a hand on the smooth helmet of Alphonse's head. "You too.." She mouthed in the darkness and left the room.

* * *

_Alphonse...Granny...Mustang...Hawkeye...Winry._Ed thought as Envy pulled his hand from his stomach. The impact was done quickly and he could feel almost instantaneous death rise over him.

_I'm so sorry..._Ed thought, his words were choked down will blood that rose from his mouth and spilled over.

"EDWARD!" Alphonse cried out to him, but he laid there. Motionless and blood pooled around his body staining his clothes and hair in a deep crimson.

"Shut up!" Envy growled, "He was stupid. He got what he deserved. Now we can use you as the transmutation circle for the philosophers stone!"

"NO!" Alphonse screamed and ran to his brother. "Edward..Ed..please.." He cried out and touched him. He was dead.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Hohenheim asked and sat down on the bed. Edward was before him, packing things away. Papers and pamphlets strewn about the floor. He had apparently been reading them. He picked one up and read it. "Liquid fuel rocket..Goddard?"

Edward shrugged, "He's American. But there's another guy doing the same research in Transylvania."

Hohenheim chuckled, "His name is "Dracula" isn't it?"

Edward shook his head and continued packing his things, "His name is Oberth. He's still a student. I'm gonna go meet him."

Hohenheim's eyes narrowd slightly, "What are you going to do after you see him?"

"He's thinking about going to space using the rocket.." Edwards eyes went downcast, "Maybe I can get closer to my world by going to space." He stopped packing for a moment and stood erect, "There's ether in space, too."

"Haven't you read any of Einsteins works?" his father said gruffly and pushed his glasses up his face slightly.

Ed scoffed, "Sounds like a load of crap."

Hohenheim slouched over and said, more to himself than any, "If alchemy doesn't work, then mechanical technology, huh?"

"I should have tied his body and soul together and recomposed it.." Edward muttered thinking about Alphonse. "But when I came to, I was over here."

"In order to pull it off without losing your mind and body, you can _only _escape to this side." He rubbed his head, "I guess you did it unconciously."

"But..." Ed interrupted, looking down at his arm, "I ended up loosing the stuff Al gave me.."

Hohenhim smiled at his son, "Not everything can be perfect. The world is _imperfect_ after all."

* * *

Edward stopped just outside the door, Hohenheim in tow. He believed this would probably be the last time he'd see his father, "I believed I had transmuted Al by paying with my life...but I'm still alive." He smiled sadly, "Maybe I did gain something without paying the price. Or did Al stay the way he-"

"You boys had a journey.." Hohenheim interrupted, "The people you met during that time, the things you saw, your trials, your hard work, and everything you experienced." He smiled down at him, "Isn't that your "Price"?"

Ed smiled, _Alphonse, Winry...I'm coming back.._

* * *

_I don't know how I can get back to you now._

_But.._

_I will make it back..someday._

_Let's meet again..._

* * *

"Go, Ed! It's the only way you can get back! You must stop them from taking over your world!" Alphonse Heidenrich pushed him towards the plane.

"You belive me?" Edward asked getting in.

"Right now?" he chuckled, "I'll believe anything. I've made my mark in the world, now it's your turn to do what you have to." He shoved Edward into the seat and latched him in.

"Alphonse, what about you?"

"I'll be fine!" He shouted and ran to the mechanism that turned the machine on.

The crane lifted the plane into a vertical angle, the opening to the other realm straight ahead. Edward braced himself, however this may go..

"NOW!" Alphonse shouted and shoved the lever downward.

The airplane shook roughly before the loud thunder of exhaust burning filled the air and propelled the plane forward. Faster, faster, it keept moving up.

_This is it!_ Edward braced himself, down below, he couldn't hear the sound of his friend of this world being shot for his treachery.

* * *

Edward picked himself from the ground, the plane was now in shambles and pieces. Rubble and dead bodies scattered across the ground. So much damage done in so little time, and for what?

He stood and felt his leg collapse under him. These pieces of scrap metal his father had built for him in the alternate universe had fallen apart. It would be a lot more stable had he been given something from the Rockbells.

"Edward?"

Ed looked up from his position on the ground, his vision wavering. He stared for a moment, curious as to who had called him.

"Winry?" He asked when his vision had adjusted, "Winry!" He nearly jumped to her before his prostetics weighed out on him and he collapsed.

"Ed!" She called to him and held him up.

Ed finally realized that they weren't the only two there, "Scheska?"

"Hi, Edward." She smiled sweetly at him, from the distance he could see someone running towards them, he had a red trenchcoat, much like the one he used to wear.

"Brother!"

"Alphonse?" He spoke weakly, _So I hadn't failed.._

"Brother!" Alphonse stopped just short of he and Winry, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

Al walked slowly to them and knealt down beside the two. He put his arms around both of them and for the first time in years, Ed was overwhelmed with emotion. He clenched his teeth and tried to force back the tears, but the effort was useless.

He cried, twisting his face into the soft skin of Winry's neck and she held him.

"Edward.." She whispered, tears falling from her eyes as well, "I missed you."

* * *

Edward smiled when he looked up at the warping hole before him. The swirl almost mystic and yet mysterious. Behind him, Colonel mustang stood.

"Edward, are you ready to go back?"

"More than ever." He assured and looked down. He saw the rest of them, Hawkeye, Breda, Fury, all of them waiting, just to say goodbye. "How's Alphonse?"

"He should be in care. We have people watching him."

"Good." Ed smiled sadly, "Will you close up the gate on this side Mustang?"

"Of course Full Metal." He said and shook his hand. Edward held his hand in a firm grip for a minute and after debating with himself, he gave him a hug.

"Thank you Mustang. For everything."

Roy chuckled and put his arms around him in a hug, "No problem. You were like an annoying younger brother to me." He stepped back.

"Edward?" Winry called.

Ed looked back with sad and sympathetic eyes. "I'm sorry Winry..I have to go."

"I know." She said and smiled softly, emotion so thick in her voice it choked him. She grabbed his arm, "But, I need you to know something.."

"I know." He said and bent forward, their lips meeting hesitantly.

Winry felt her heart beat up against her rib cage threatening to explode. Slipping his hand in hers, he left a small slip of paper in her hands. stepping back, he pulled away and returned into the flying craft that Dietlinde Eckhart used to get here originally, closing the door behind him.

He watched Winry out the windows after he had turned it back on. Slowly it lifted from the ground and Ed stepped away from the windows. Too torn in beliving what he had left behind.

He looked at the several suits of armor littered around the floor of the blimp like machine.

"Are we gone brother?"

Ed turned around, albeit shocked, then smiled relaxing, "So, how long are you going to stay this time?"

"Not stay!" The armor said, the head rattling.

"Huh?" Ed stepped back, then his eyes widened, "Alphonse?"

He popped out from the armor smiling brightly, "Yep!"

"Y-You should be..at the..they said there were people watching you!"

"Like I can't get away." Al laughed thinking about the two guards he knocked unconscious.

"Al, you can't go with me." Edward said, voice serious. "I need to cut this machine off."

"No!" Alphonse stopped him just before reached the controls. "If you go, I go. You're my brother and we started this together, we'll end it together. No matter what."

"Alphonse-"

"No matter what."

Ed sighed and sat down on the ground, he tossed the head of a suit of armor away from him, they were getting closer to the gate. "What about Winry?"

Alphonse looked down, "We'll get back. I belive it. You should belive it too."

* * *

_Even when we were little, there was a doorway we couldn't reach even standing upon a tiptoe._

_We roamed around until we were spent, forgetting about time. And in the end we always ran into mazes there._

_I can't stop looking for your smile, before I realize what I'm doing. Not a single thing has changed and even now..I'm still running forward._

_Even if we're seperated by a great distance there is still a link between our hearts. Even if some preverse fate were to befall us that cannot be broken._

_I hope that someday this now world reborn will reach your eyes._

* * *

Winry watched as Rose and her children played outside their house and smiled. She looked back at her work, someone from the west had requested her auto-mail. The Rockbells had become pretty popular in that time. She wiped the oil off her hands and onto her pants. Standing from her seat, Winry looked at the cork board she kept in her office. Small pictures of she, Ed and Alphonse decorated it, as well as old family photos she had of her parents and her grandmother. Even new pictures with some of the Military on it. She smiled and picked up an old photo of Ed and herself.

Looking over at her desk, she had framed ones too. Some of just Ed and Al. Simply as a rememberance. She picked up the one behind it, it was a picture of Ed she had taken when she met him at the hospital. He was upset because they had made him drink his milk. She laughed.

Turning it over, she popped the back of the frame off. That small piece of paper he had given her just before he left was behind the photo, kept away but not forgotten. It had been nearly three years since she had last seen the two of them. She prayed they were okay.

She remembered the kiss. It was surprising, but a pleasant surprise. She was glad to have gotten one before he left.

She took the paper from the back and unfolded it. The writing was small and poorly written. Obviously rushed but it was his.

A lone tear ran down her cheek and she smiled.

_Winry, I know it has been a long time. It'll be even longer until I see you again. But I want you to know._

_I love you._

_And I will see you again, be it years from now or months._

_I will return. I'll come back for you._

* * *

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